Why does Antimicrobial resistance matter to us?Antibiotics : medicines used to prevent and treat bacterial infections.Antimicrobial resistance occurs when the bacteria changes its response against the efficacy of these medicines.All around the world, people, plants and animals are dying from infections that cannot be treated, even though the best researchers in the world have been working on it. This is due to the rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR).WHO (The World Health Organization) estimated that There are mainly 4 reasons why we need to pay attention to antimicrobial resistance(AMR).①Resistant bacteria infect 800,000 people per yearAccording to the survey conducted by OECD(Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), 70% of worldwide infections occur in healthcare settings. Bacteria especially infect those who have deficiencies in their immune system, such as Cancer patients and HIV positive patients.②35,000 people died of AMR-related conditions in Europe in 2020By simple calculation, Drug-resistant infections kill 100 people everyday in Europe. Some infections that were curable in the past have become difficult or even impossible to treat due to the rise of AMR. Therefore, even minor infections or surgeries can be life threatening, if AMR continues to develop.③Fighting against Resistant bacteria requires substantial healthcare costsThe estimated cost of AMR for healthcare systems in Europe is 1.1 billion euro per year.AMR-related death will rise up to 10 million lives every year by 2050. We can’t be ignorant of this problem. As a student who is aiming to be a medical professional, I decided to pick up this topic to improve the public awareness on this ongoing problem.Once bacterias become antibiotic-resistant, these bacteria may infect humans and animals, and cause infections that are harder to treat than those caused by non-resistant bacteria.Many people may think that researchers are capable of continuously developing a new drug. Realistically speaking, it is impossible. This is because the cost of developing a new drug to the pharmaceutical market is approximately 1.0 billion euro. Additionally, the time required to develop one drug is around 10 to 15 years in total which is extremely long considering the number of drugs that need to be made to fight AMR.④AMR damages the economyAMR can disrupt the trade of livestock and livestock products, as it affects animals’ health. Misuse (e.g. overuse) of antibiotics endangers both animals and people, since animals can transmit resistant bacteria to humans through direct contact or through the food chain.(Now, consumption of antibiotics in humans is higher than in food-producing animals. )What is more scary is that resistance to “Last resort antibiotics” is growing. Last resort drugs as the name 9Shota Takanouchi Semmelweis UniversityThe Fear of Bacteria Antimicrobials & Antimicrobial Resistant Bacteria
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